Grab 'Em Before They're Gone!

The evil forces of technology are against me as I try to do a quick post about some of my favourite Relay for Life items. Add the constant in world glitches, inability to log on and frequent crashes to the repeated power failures at my home and it will be a miracle if this gets posted at all! And I can forget about the rather large build I am working on for the new Fashion Victim HQ since...... I can't actually log in! /rant off

Fortunately I did get to spend some time at Relay for Life between crashes, and kudos to all involved this year. Stunning builds, fun events and extremely well organised all round. Having friends involved in organising aspects of this event, I know how hard you have all worked, so congratulations!

There were just way too many stunning limited edition RFL items to begin to cover here (or even to BUY for that matter) but here are some of my favourites. Most of these will be gone tomorrow, so make sure you don't miss out.

I love the work of hyasynth Tiramisu from ~silentsparrow~, and she is one of the sweetest people you could meet too. hyasynth released a gorgeous silver version of her Etienne dress just for RFL. I think Furiae Blackthorne described it something along the lines of "Neo Victorian meets June Cleaver". Either way, this is a fine dress, with the stunning texture and prim work we have come to expect from hyasynth. This dress will cost you a donation of 500L and is available at the main silentsparrow store, and in the Pixels in Pink RFL sim. And just in case you didn't know, there's a sale on older items going on right now at ~silentsparrow~ too!

Nicky Ree's much coveted Mara Limited Edition gown has already received mention on a number of other blogs, and rightly so. This is one of the most exquisite gowns I have seen in a long time and I was more than happy to part with a 1500L donation to buy it, especially with the multiple skirt options (but alas I couldn't quite justify the purchase of the equally beautiful black Mara gown as well). Grab this at the Shopaholics for a Cause sim or at Nicky's store in Deco.

Fallingwater Cellardoor made my day by releasing the Noir sculpted flower collection. Fallingwater Flowers are a real weakness of mine, and the ethereal beauty of the Noir flowers just took my breath away. They are available in 4 sizes, a pack of 15 will set you back 1500L which is well worth it in my opinion. These will be available after RFL, but if you grab them now at the Pixels in Pink sim, all of the proceeds will go to Relay for Life.

Also available at the Pixels in Pink sim is Torrid Midnight's Spring Flowers Noir dress, which is sweet and simple but still elegant. It's shown here with HoseQueen's cute Jindi hair, another Pixels in Pink offering. And of course, I HAD to have one of Gala Phoenix's Limited Edition RFL skins, which I spent ages hunting for until Stephen and Caliah tracked them down at the the Ceremony Centre.

And finally, something that will inspire a resounding "WTF??" from those who know me well, Panache's In The Pink Sweet, available at Pixels in Pink. This was a RFL offering I missed out on last year and it's just fun fun fun! This set is available for a 1000L donation, and you get the skin, adorable hat, jewelry, 2 hairstyles, 3 shoes, an outfit you can wear 5 different ways and 3 sets of eyes. I'm telling you, if adding this to your wardrobe doesn't cheer you up, nothing will. Not to mention, Swirly is going to DIE of jealousy. Love it!

As I've written before, FASHION VICTIM CARES.

And so a little service message:

On saturday July 28, at 2 pm PDT The annual Relay for Life in SL will be held, a 24 hrs event on 32 sims. The SL Relay for Life has already raised almost L$27 million.
(For more information be sure to check out http://slrfl.org)

Nicky Ree and Shai Delacroix have created one day available outfits.


Time schedule:
Second Life's Third Annual Relay For Life 2007
brought to you by the 2007 SLRFL Teams, Designers, and their Supporters

For Information: T1 Radio is broadcasting SLRFL Live
RFL Entertainment Centers have repeaters for those not able to enter a ceremony sim

Sailing For Life, SLRFL Entertainment Centers, and SLRFL Fishing have Independent Schedules. Please check with each area for updates.

2:00 PM Opening Ceremony (Ceremony Center)
Opening Remarks - Jade Lily
Comments from ACS Representative - RC Moss
Guest Speaker
Instructions for Preceeding Lap - Christopher Sterling

3:00 Survivor / Caregiver Lap

4:00 Relay Attire

5:00

6:00 Hats and Boots

7:00 Mr. and Ms. Relay For Life 2007 Pageant
(time may change listen to T1 for updates)

8:00 Barefoot

9:00 Luminaria / Ceremony of Hope (Ceremony Center)
- Poppy Zabelin

9:30 Fireworks

10:00

11:00 Crazy Hair

12:00 AM Midnight Madness * Fireworks
PAJAMA PARTY (pjs must be pg)

1:00

2:00 Something to Represent your Country

3:00

4:00 Beach Wear (pg please)

5:00

6:00 Bald and Beautiful

7:00

8:00 Formal and Tux

9:00

10:00 AM Closing Ceremony (formal attire) (Ceremony Center)
Thank Yous from a Survivor - Candy Antonelli
Awards Presentations
'07 SLRFL Top Four Fundraising Teams - Fayandria Foley
'07 SLRFL Survivor Awards - Poppy Zabelin
'07 SLRFL Designer Awards - Christopher Sterlind
Closing Remarks - Fayandria Foley

11:00 AM FIREWORKS (accross all 32 sims)

Simone: Women at Work

Several months ago, when the businesswear trend swept through SL, designers released a varied selection of suits and career couture from which the working women of the grid could take their pick. From the simple to the stylish, suits were all the rage.

When Simone dropped her new businesswear line on me, it was readily apparent that these suits and skirt sets weren't meant merely for the boardroom, but anywhere that a woman of class and character might need to be. Extremely versatile and feminine, accented with lace, pearls and delicate hand-drawn piping, these outfits suit women of every profession, and embody timeless style.

From a collection of eleven different releases and a total of forty-four outfits, these are what caught my eye.

"Donna" is a classic women's suit featuring an open collarless jacket with a simple, perfectly drawn lapel, pearl and lace cuff accents and a pearl and diamond buckle closure. The "Steno Pool" set combines a white blouse with black piping and lace detail, blue pearl buttons and a round collar with a black lace-trimmed knee-length skirt for an outfit with a retro feel.

Left: Simone "Donna" in Blush; Hair: Crave by Naughty; Right: Simone "Steno Pool"; Hair: Anisa by ETD; Shoes: Last Call Black Sculpted Pumps (group freebie)

One of my favourite suit sets from this collection is "Attache." The sleek, modern lines of the short jacket are accented by the large opalised buttons along its front and cuffs, and the wide, intricately detailed belt adds instant chic to the traditional silhouette. This outfit has two skirt options in black and white.

Left: Simone "Attache" in Teal; Hair: Hailey by ETD; Shoes: Boardroom Bish in Albino by Last Call Vamp; Right: Simone "Attache" in Celery; Hair: Smooth in Black by Kin Keiko; Shoes: Simone Sculpted Black Satin Pumps

Another of my favourites, and perhaps the sleekest of the outfits in this collection, "Business Class" features a high-necked, frilled blouse and a classic white jacket held closed by a rose-enamel clasp. There are two skirt options, one short and the other knee-length, and the matching sheer hose is edged by a frill of the same colour as the blouse, which lends the ensemble a saucy touch. "Fast Track" is a decidedly softer look, with a lovely lace-edged skirt, pearl buttons along cuffs and belt, and an open jacket over a white camisole.

Left: Simone "Business Class" in Berry; Hair: Carolyn from ETD; Shoes: Essential White/White Stilettos from Prim Seduction, Sylfie Minogue; Simone "Fast Track" in Wine; Hair: The Chignon, ETD Couture Collection; Shoes: Vivica in Heather/White by Last Call Vamp

"Girl Friday" is a simple and understated, yet classy, outfit, with a corseted blouse for a high-waisted look, a ribbon at the collar, and black stockings. Named after the former Prime Minister, the "Lady Margaret" is a suit to be worn with dignity: a jacket, blouse and skirt in a classic deep navy accented with white piping. The collarless jacket is highlighted by a clasp of pearls and gold filigree.


Left: Simone "Girl Friday" in Blue; Hair: Tyra by ETD; Shoes: Quinn in Black by Last Call Vamp; Right: Simone "Lady Margeret"; Hair: Tyra by ETD; Shoes: Quinn in Black by Last Call Vamp

**Jewellery: Journey Drop Necklace by Earthtones Boutique; Claire Diamond Earring Studs, Claris Single-Strand Pearl Necklace, Claris Pearl Earrings in Gold, & Classic Tank Watch in Black/Silver by Muse

The best feature of this collection is the meticulous detail on each outfit; each piece is on its own separate layer. Overall this is a rather polished set of releases, and the more feminine touches are quite a break from the harder-edged, more masculine businesswear offerings currently available in SL.

Shopping information:
Simone! by Simone Stern, Simone, (118,113, 102)

New Goodies from artilleri

Antonia Marat's ability to churn out high quality new releases for artilleri never ceases to amaze me. This latest release is particularly exciting because it includes six new makeups for the Lily Skins. If you haven't checked out the Lily skins, run to artilleri now and grab some demos. These retro styled hand drawn skins feature sexy "cat eye" style liner, tons of colourful makeup options, just a smattering of freckles, and gorgeous rosy blush (why do so many skin designers skimp on the blush?). The Lily Skins are available in 5 skintones, with singles only 600L and packs of 4 for a discounted 1800L. The price alone has to win you over.

I love Antonia's dresses and the new "Jeannae" dress does not disappoint. Flirty 50s styling with a cute polka dot pattern and flexi skirt, it's available in 7 colours. Singles are 200L and the fat pack is great value at 700L.

Antonia has also released 3 new tank tops, sold in packs of 2 for 180L. Love the Cherry tank!

Paper Couture Fall '07 Collection

The moment is finally here, the arrival of the Paper Couture Fall '07 collection. Following the show tonight I popped in and out of Tableau, waiting for the Lu Sisters to pop up on my radar, and sure enough it wasn't too long before they filled the store with their new collection, and Paper Couture was soon overflowing with fashionistas eager to get their hands on the clothes. Not wanting to be fussed with making decisions (much too hard with the quality of the collection this season), I bought it all. There is a definite retro edge to many of the pieces in this collection - 1960s and 80s vintage meets high fashion. In the hands of the very talented Lu Sisters, the result is simply stunning. At the time of writing, there is still no sign of the new season shoes and glasses, but there are gorgeous new handbags available. Now if the Lu Sisters would just release the amazing hair their models teased us with during the show, I would be in heaven!

It was extremely difficult to narrow it down to a few favourite pieces to post here; it will be even harder to explain to Swirly why I usurped her on blogging one of her favourite designers, but hey, that bitch got to model in their SHOW!

Hands down my favourite from the collection, Red Baby could well be the cutest dress in SL. Yes, I know it looked better on Swirly......

Sleek and glamorous with a definite 80s edge, Black Orchid

Head coverings are a feature of many of the outfits, including the earthy but very urban Cold Street

I am getting a real "Dynasty" vibe from Stray Horse. Absolutely superb texturing and prim work.

LBD with a couture edge - Rode Island

Another hands down favourite, the very retro Pool. Yes, that's a system skirt.

An absolute show stopper - the Falsetta Layered Gown

Not much else to be said except......... get your ass down to Tableau right now!

The LuxAce Lighting HUD

I'd known my shop neighbour Gabriel Watanabe was an ingenious scripter from the time we met in March and discussed his various projects (and the particular MMORPGs we'd both played); his specialty lay in the creation of lighting sets for clubs - in particular, the Re-light, a revolutionary lighting system that allows you to dynamically move lights along a set trajectory, change their position, colour and intensity. So when I remembered photographer Charron Marseille had been wishing for flexible studio lighting that could be positioned on command, it was obvious Gabriel was the man to turn to for help.

[4:04] Caliah Lyon: hey you oO
[4:04] Caliah Lyon: I have an idea for you
[4:04] Gabriel Watanabe: lol? shoot
[4:04] Caliah Lyon: hud lighting attachments that you can um, control for photography
[4:04] Gabriel Watanabe: ah this is funny 'cause i have made a scripted personal light already...to change intensity, color etc
[4:04] Caliah Lyon: well the diff is you ought to be able to move something like that
[4:05] Caliah Lyon: both hud and studio version
[4:05] Gabriel Watanabe: not a problem
[4:05] Caliah Lyon: a friend of mine has wanted a studio style one for a loooong time
[4:05] Gabriel Watanabe: for example the hud has 4 buttons to move updown rightleft, 2 to move far/near, 1 to make it visible so u can check where is it
[4:06] Gabriel Watanabe: and you can change intensity, color etc
[4:06] Caliah Lyon: I guess you could wear a two-light attachment - two prims on one attachment point
[4:07] Caliah Lyon: the thing is the need for that is to combat places with autoreturn
[4:07] Caliah Lyon: say you wanna snap a photo somewhere but can't because it returns your lights
[4:10] Gabriel Watanabe: i can make a working in version in like, 30 minutes? if i have that much time in a row :p
[4:11] Caliah Lyon: well, just an idea
[4:12] Gabriel Watanabe: lemme work on it a bit
[4:14] Caliah Lyon: maybe make a version that doesn't need to rez any items, but use an existing attachment array of prims
[4:14] Gabriel Watanabe: i won't make a rezzable item...i can't manage autorez&attach
[4:14] Gabriel Watanabe: i make 2 lights and u can move them independently
[4:14] Caliah Lyon: that'd be awesome

Thus the Luxace was born.


Shot of the Luxace HUD and emitter prims.

When I tested the beta, it seemed that perhaps this was a more difficult idea to implement than it had initially seemed, but after some use, I grew accustomed to the HUD interface, which has more buttons than your average SL hud. You can control the intensity, radius and falloff of each of the two lights attached to your chin, and change their colour by tinting the textured prim buttons marked "Color." Most importantly, you can move each light using the direction buttons marked B and C on the diagram along X, Y and Z axes. This allows for exact positioning of each light to achieve the desired effect for your photo. Finally, you can make the light prims invisible with a click of a button, for when you're ready to take pictures.

After reading the manual I was struck by just how versatile this tool can be: the HUD can save different lighting settings and positions under different "program" names - so to recall a certain setting, all you need to do is load one you've saved under that particular program name.

Here is a demonstration of just what can be done with this setup:



The only drawback I can see to using this miniature lighting set is that it can take a while to position the lights using the directional buttons on the hud. I'm not a scripter, so I've no idea of the limitations of LSL, but it would be handy if you could move the lights in bigger increments than is currently possible. Also, be warned that if you crash, your lighting settings will revert if you haven't saved, so save them often.

All in all this is a nice little solution for scenic spots with no-build or short autoreturn times enabled. Charron may have waited a long time (was that eight, or nine months?) for something like this, but he didn't wait in vain, it seems.

Gabriel's shop, PLOREHO, is in Linji; if you drop by, be sure to take a look at the Re-light as well - it's worth a look, even if you're not a dj or club owner. And compliment him on his kitsune ears - he's one of the few successful converts that took to kitsunehood with the proper zeal.

Shopping Information
.:PLOREHO Design by Gabriel Watanabe, Linji (54, 201, 74)

High Fashion Poses from Torrid Midnight

I was pretty excited when Torrid Midnight dropped her latest High Fashion pose set on me. I'm an animation junkie and the first poses I bought were from TorridWear, and I think I've acquired all of Torrid's poses since then. This new set is comprised of 8 poses, and as the name implies, is perfect for modelling. Torrid says that these poses are a bit more extreme than what she has done in the past, given that they were inspired by fashion shots, however there is no unnatural bending or distortion of the joints, and the overall look is very realistic. All in all, a very stylish and well made set of poses.

A number of the poses come with 2 options, head locked or freely moving, which makes them great for use in AOs as well as for photography. The poses are no transfer, which I think is a necessity for animations - I like to use my poses in photo stands and AOs as well as keeping them handy in my inventory, so the ability to copy a pose is a real selling point for me. The poses are available as singles for 100L each, or in an 8 pack for 700L.

Clothes from the Haver and Roslin Outfits by Savvy?, Black Mary Janes by Tete a Pied, Dangly Pearl Earrings by {JUNK}, Melrose Hair by ETD, Jessica Pearl Skin in Pink by Cake

TONIC - Super Cute Slip-Ons for Guys and Girls

A little something to add to your shopping list, some must-have "Vans" style slip-ons from relatively new designer Static Schultz of TONIC Apparel. These are available in guys and girls sizes, and look great with with a cute pair of capris (unless you are a guy, then you might want to go for a pair of rugged, masculine capris). Shown below are three designs - Black and White Checkered, Skull X Bones and Brown Plaid. Love 'em all!
Static says he can do custom slip-ons for a slightly higher price, and his store also offers bandanas and belts, with clothes on the way soon.

Skin Within: Arya Skins

A few weeks ago skin designer Ayesha Bisiani of Skin Within told me of a new skin line she was planning to release. The Arya line, meant to be an Indian skin with a dusky skintone, comes in twenty-four different makeups, six skins in four different categories: Day, Evening, Ethnic, and Fantasy.

Arya Sandy Skin (Evening); Hair: Drama in Driftwood, Influence by Naughty

I'm always pleased when designers' releases celebrate real-world diversity within Second Life. I personally have no taste for the faked tans on so many skins and much prefer the darker skintones natural to other ethnicities and those of mixed heritage rather than a tan, so I was happy that I was asked to review these skins.

Arya Ember Skin (Day); Hair: Katie in Smoke, ETD

The Day and Evening makeups feature a slightly more muted palette than the other two types, but with the same richness of hue that seems prevalent throughout the entire skinline, with the Evening makeup having a little more sparkle. The Ethnic and Fantasy makeups are quite vibrantly colourful, and work surprisingly well on such a skintone. Most of the lipsticks on these skins have a gorgeous metallic bloom, from the coppery lips on the Sandy Evening skin to the faintly iridescent sheen on the Dharti Ethnic skin.

Arya Dharti Skin (Ethnic); Hair: Drama in Driftwood, Influence by Naughty

The Ethnic makeups come with the traditional Indian bindi, with each skin named after the Indian elementals: Vahyu (Air), Agni (Fire), Dharti (Earth), Nee'ir (Water) and the two celestials, Surya (Sun) and Chandra (Moon). Dharti is perhaps my favourite makeup from the four I was sent to review, because of the intricate ornamental bindi - a refreshing change from the usual dot - and the striking choice of makeup colours.

Arya Divinity Skin (Fantasy); Hair: Hailey in Teal, ETD

These skins are a blend of handpainted and photosourced details, with a light sprinkling of water droplets on the thighs. This is a nice touch, though I would suggest that a "dry" option be offered just to give customers more of a choice.

The shading and highlighting on these skins is of the higher-contrast variety than softly-shaded skins, best flattered by darker, richer colours and softer lighting; this gives the skins more of a hand-drawn look to them. I would prefer that the entirety of the skin be more evenly shaded, though I'm accustomed to scant, and much softer, highlights on my favourite skins, so this may be a matter of preference; in truth, these are perhaps some of the better examples of such high-contrast skins that I've seen, as the skintone is fairly uniform throughout (unlike some, where the body or neck is in an utterly different tone from the face).

The breasts are well-shaded, with realistic, textured nipples. The stomach and ribs are given just the right amount of emphasis and tone, though the the collarbones and the shoulderblade ridges seemed a touch starkly highlighted. Overall, the torso is my favourite part on this skin - it looks well-defined enough to be lean; I prefer some muscle definition as opposed to the generic soft stomachs on most skins. The buttocks are well-shaped and fully rounded, and the naughty bits tastefully done, though I much prefer them with the Bare option than "natural" - which is fully untrimmed. The feet and hands are all right, though the pinky nail and the big toenail are a little large and may look a little distorted because of the way the avatar mesh is shaped, and the knees are quite realistic. There are no visible seams even on closer inspection, and overall the skin is of good quality.

Full body shot of the Arya Sandy Skin (click to view larger version)

Detail of the water droplets - this is a "wet" skin.

All the Arya skins may be purchased individually or as a set. Individual skin vendors have the various face sin different makeup styles; you can also purchase them in sets of six. A shape and bald base is included in the skin packs.

Shopping Information:
Skin Within, Serenity Islands CTR (160, 227, 22)

FABULOUS Sale at X3D!

Hello darlings, Swirly here. As anyone who knows Swirly would be aware, Digit Darkes is Swirly's all time favourite designer. That's why Swirly almost had an embarrassing little accident when she heard that Digit is having a HALF PRICE SALE at X3D for two days only!! That's almost 50 percent off darlings! What Swirly loves about Digit's work is that she uses colours, FABULOUS ones. And that takes talent!

Swirly is poverty stricken after shopping at the X3D sale, and will have to work more zealously on her campaign to find a generous husband with payment info on file. In the mean time, here are some utterly divine things you must buy from X3D. Now darlings!

Piper Shirt, Gold Snakeskin Leather Pants, Striped Gloves with Bows and Sandstorm Snake Heels from X3D. Crescent Chandelier Earings from {JUNK}, Wing Lashes from Cake, Viscaria Lights Hair in Blonde from Calla and Lacie Skin from RaC.


Powder Puff Dress and Shoes from X3D. Pom Curl Light Hair in Blonde from Analog Dog, Wing Lashes from Cake, Body Oil from Nyoko and Lacie Skin from RaC.


Skull Dot Top, Couture Flexi Bubble Skirt, Gloves, Studded Bracelets and Marie Antoinette Collection"Alice" heels all from X3D. Pink Sequin Earrings from {JUNK}, Ultimate Bugeye Glasses from Fashionably Dead, Shazy's Congo Hair in Grey Blonde from Marlys and Lacie Skin from RaC.


Sequined Top, Gold and Black Sequin Striped Pants, Gold Medallion Necklace and "Elphaba" Toe Bow Heels all from X3D. Avian Spectacles Calissa from Queen Couture, Crescent Chandelier Earings from {JUNK}, Dolly Hair in Platinum from Fashionably Dead, and Lacie Skin from RaC.


Wicked Jacket in Blue, Black Leather Studded Heart Pocket Pants and Mistress Heels in Black from X3D. Sally Jessy Raphael Sunglasses and Bubblegum Pearls from Lemonade, Dangly Pearl Earrings from {JUNK}, Ginger Spice Hair from [Aden] at Karamia and Lacie Skin from RaC.

*smooches*

Cute Hand Drawn Skins from Soda

Charlotte Morellet from Soda promised that she would release a new range of skins based on feedback she received about her previous "Jezebel" line, and here they are. "Andrea" is a range of soft, hand painted skins in six skin tones - Cream, Latte, Glow, Peachy, Beach Tan and Chocolate. There are 13 makeup options available for each skin tone, and a bonus softly freckled version is included with each. What I love about these skins - the shiny pouty lips, the luscious sheen on the face and body, and the super cute makeup choices which range from almost no makeup through to 80s glam. The nostrils, ears and eyebrows are well detailed but still soft enough to fit in with the overall hand drawn look of the skin, and I love the cupids bow.

Cream Skin - Totally 80s; Peachy Skin -Natural; Cream Skin - Smokey Dramatic

Latte Skin - Fusion Freckled; Beach Tan Skin - Lime; Chocolate Skin - Hot Shot Pink

The body detailing (shown here on the Latte skin) is quite soft, which I prefer, and there is an overall nice glow, cleavage to die for and highlights in the right places. And that is one cute butt!

The Andrea skins are very competitively priced at 850L per single, or 3000L for a four pack. There are more pics on the Soda blog, and of course demos to try on at Soda in world. And yes, I know these would have looked better on Swirly......